This story is a reminder of how working an Executive Protection detail requires the ability to make split-second decisions based on the best information available at the time.

In 2004, I was working overseas in the South of France, working with a television production team. My protectee was an American actress, and my contract and arrangement with the show’s Producer was that my energy and focus should be strictly on keeping her safe.

We were all at the airport in Nice, France, waiting for our luggage and equipment. Everybody was dead tired because the night before, the entire cast and crew had attended a VIP party to celebrate and promote the show. It had been a long day, followed by an even longer night, and everybody was over-tired, some a little hung over, and all of us desperately needed some sleep. My protectee had invited some friends to the party, and they were along with us at the airport, when one of her male friends lights up a cigarette–ignoring the “No Smoking” signs.

A local French man with a chip on his shoulder when it comes to Americans, starts yelling at him, insisting in broken English that he put out his cigarette. Clearly, the guy was breaking the rules. And they start getting into it, yelling and wildly gesturing. I was annoyed, but what was I supposed to do–my responsibility was to look after the star of the show–not her friends. Well, her friend is not only breaking the rules, but he starts acting like an “Ugly American,” and things start to escalate.

The French man is yelling loudly and then starts the shoving. My protectee turns to me and implores “Don, DO something!”

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The former bodyguard of Louis Antonelli, a jeweler who was shot on April 29^, was himself shot to death Tuesday morning by law enforcement. The deceased, Jason Aiello –36, was a retired police sergeant and one-time protector to Antonelli.

Police officers were dispatched after two 911 calls from the Aillo home.

The first call was for shots fired and 5 minutes later a second call was made for a domestic dispute between the couple.

Aiello was at Bayley Seton Hospital, where his family had checked him into the psychiatric ward at 10:00 p.m. the night before. Aiello had been under extreme pressure to answer questions from detectives and the FBI regarding Antonelli’s shooting, and had become “delusional.” Sometime between 3 and 4 a.m., after becoming agitated, Aiello escaped, according to the family’s attorney Peter Antioco.

Law enforcement claims that Aiello brandished two guns and fired at officers seven times. The police returned fire–a total of19 rounds–three of which hit Aiello. Officers claim they repeatedly asked Aillo to drop his weapon, but he refused and then fired at him. Law enforcement sources believe Aiello was seeking to commit “suicide by cop,” but family members and their attorney are denying Aiello was suicidal.

Antioco reported that when the police arrived, one of Aiello’s family members had taken away one of the two 9mm guns Aiello had in his possession. Aiello’s wife took away the second 9mm gun and threw it out of the car window, and screamed to the police “I have the gun, stop shooting!” But officers continued shoot. According to Antioco, “There is a serious question whether or not he fired his gun, at all.”

The family is claiming that 20 to 25 shots were fired at Aiello, as he sat in his cousin’s car. His wife was in the passenger seat with him, but was not shot. The couple’s three children, aged 2, 5, and 6 were in the vicinity and were quickly removed from the scene.

Police detectives and the FBI had been questioing Aiello repeatedly regarding the circumstances of his employer’s shooting death. He was never charged, but there was some suspicion as to what role, if any, he may have played in Antonelli’s death. To all appearances, Aiello was one of the only people who knew he and Antonelli would be at the El Sabor Tropical Restaurant the night Antonelli was shot, and the usually armed Aiello was without his fire arm that night. Antonelli had also walked out of the restaurant alone.

Aiello claimed he had nothing to do with the shooting. He also claimed that he didn’t know any of the suspects arrested in connection with the crime.

His family called him “a family man” with a 15-year history in the Brooklyn police department. He’d been retired from the police force for the past two years.

 

ELIJAH J. SHAW is the President and CEO of Icon Services Corporation. Entering into its 10th year, ICON is a full service, security and investigative agency, specializing in Executive and VIP Protection. With 15 years in the industry, Elijah’s company services corporate executives as well as celebrity clients which have included Usher, Naomi Campbell, Michael Bolton, and rap star 50 Cent. With tours of duty that frequently take him across the globe, Mr. Shaw acts as a personal bodyguard to these artists providing close protection and security consultation and staffing worldwide.

Elijah has received advanced bodyguard and executive protection training from prestigious associations such as Trojan Securities International (TSI), R.L Oatman and Associates (w/ASIS), and Elite Protective Services and currently acts as an guest instructor with TSI teaching a course on Celebrity Protection. 

BGC: It is interesting to note that you don’t have a military or law enforcement background. What drew you to the Executive Protection industry?

ES: I “stumbled” into this work. It was something I was doing to pay for college. I took a job working as a nightclub security guard (bouncer) to pay for college. I wasn’t the biggest guy in the group, but I had an innate ability to talk to people and manage situations. Because the owner liked me and I had the right attitude I worked my way up from the back door guy to the Head of Security.

BGC: What was the very first “celebrity” detail you worked?

ES: It just so happened that a celebrated sports figure owned the club, Well, after working my way up through the club, the owner would put me on personal details. He had alot of interaction with the public, so he didn’t want that “tough-guy security” approach. He needed someone to finesse sticky situations and I had good problem-solving skills. Once that assignment came to an end I was basically back at square one. I knew it was important to be well-rounded, so I worked every aspect of protection you can think of; uniformed security guard to undercover department store theft prevention – Anything to gain further training and experience in the security industry. 

BGC: What was the worst mistake you ever made on a security detail? (Behonest! Our readers learn from the missteps of the seasoned pros!)

ES: I remember working with this guy who I thought was really nice and had great credentials. His background was in law enforcement, and he was very personable. I had a celebrity detail come up that I couldn’t work, so I thought I’d give this guy the opportunity. When I called the client the next day to see how it was working out, she said that he was nice, but at the star-studded event they attended, he would make the client stop so he could have his picture taken with celebrities!! He was completely star-struck. I was on the plane that night to replace him. The thing that’s important to remember with these celebrity clients is that they don’t want to “notice” their bodyguards. They just want to go to an event and enjoy themselves and should almost forget you are there. There are a lot of guys out there who have an impressive resume, but their personality needs to fit with the client–and you have to earn their trust. I learned that the right person for a celebrity detail can’t be found just by looking at an impressive resume -They have to have the proper mindset to work with a figure in the public eye.

BGC: How has Bodyguard/Executive Protection work changed from “back in the day” when you first started?

ES: The industry has become far more professional, with a great deal of emphasis on training. It used to be rather “loose” in the way an employer would hire a bodyguard. There was a time when the only qualification for a bodyguard was being either a big bouncer from the club, off-duty cop or retired Navy SEAL. It is more “formal” now–including the terms. Executive Protection Specialists is slowly replacing the term “Bodyguard”. But the majority of the public still uses and knows the term “bodyguard” so it’s important for us to make sure we continue to disprove the misconceptions. Quality training is preparing people in an entirely different way, which I think it’s great for the newcomer. One important thing to remember is that a lot of times guys think previous military skills or law enforcement skills are ALL that’s needed to make it working with the private sector. Many times the great skills just don’t fully translate to actually working with executives or celebrities hence the need for specialized training.

BGC: Have you personally worked with or seen many women in the field?

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The neighbors in Amy Winehouse’s upscale London neighborhood are tiring of the endless nights of parties, ever-present paparazzi and late-night shenanigans. She has been involved in two brawls in only two weeks.

Allegedly, she struck a man whom she claimed pinched her behind, and struck out at a fan who touched her hair. Now, a third brawl has been reported. In recent photos taken of the 24-year-old singer, it appears she is smacking her personal bodyguard.

Can’t a bodyguard get some respect?

This story illustrates–once again–that in this line of work you’re not only protecting the client from strangers, but protecting your client from themselves! (And to take it a step further, protecting yourself from yourclient!?)

Some celebrities will act out in the most inappropriate ways, and at the end of the day–you must decide for yourself if it’s worth the paycheck or damage to your own reputation.

I’ve seen celebrities behave in ways that have been appalling, and I’m not talking about individuals who were under my protection. I personally witnessed one mega-star (who wanted to show off to another celebrity) stand on stage and tell the male dancers in the show to drop their pants, in order to see the size of their genitalia!?! It was one of the most classless, tasteless things I’ve ever witnessed in this line of work.

It is important to agree ahead of time that when you are “protecting” your client, that it is not just keeping him or her from physical harm. It is also preventing them from acting in ways that will get them in trouble, or compromise their reputation. This could include drinking to excess, abuse of power, any behavior that is inappropriate–particularly in public. I’d say punching people falls into that category.

If you don’t have this understanding with your client, well, you’d best ready yourself for that mean right hook!

Most of us in the working world have always assumed that after a certain age, it is a “reward” for many long years of work to retire. The vision of retirement that many people ascribe to is dropping out of the “rat-race,”

and lying on a beach in the Caribbean doing nothing. Well, that might be interesting and even fun for a little while, but the reality is that it will probably get old quickly.

We need to be busy. People thrive on creative thinking, social interaction, and making plans to get things done. Individuals in the Executive Protection business may have shorter careers in the field–depending upon their mental and physical fortitude. A well-seasoned EPS is extremely employable, but (especially in the celebrity work) the assignments when you’re 45 are not as appealing as they may be to an individual in his/her 20′s.

An EPS with a family finds that priorities change…so it is important to remember when you are young and single, making the big dollars (assuming you’ve worked your way up in this industry to earn the big dollars) that this career won’t stretch on forever. Put away some money for the future. That way, when you reach an age where either by choice or because of diminishing skills you decide to transition out of the field, you can do so with less financial stress. A good number of people in Executive Protection switch gears and take part-time security guard details, or manage security teams. They may do undercover work for department stores, or they may decide to become consultants for the industry.

I think it’s important to think about the future, and to understand that there is a limit to the amount of time a bodyguard will be able to perform at peak capacity. And just like any job, you may find that your passion for it subsides, and in this line of work, the moment you stop really enjoying it, is the time to leave it.